Teacher and filmmaker Warren Smith posts videos of classroom discussions (among other topics) on his Secret Scholar Society YouTube channel. A video posted by Smith on January 26 has gone viral, with more than 10 million views on X Twitter as of Saturday. Views on YouTube are just under 450,000 as of this writing.
Smith opens the video by asking his students what they want to talk about. A boy (or young man) off-camera asks if he still likes the works of Harry Potter author JK Rowling “despite her bigoted opinions.” (Rowling has been attacked and vilified as “transphobic” for advocating for women’s rights even as she has expressed support for the trans community.)
Through an exercise in critical thinking, Smith leads the student to an epiphany, not by imposing his own opinion of Rowling on the student, but by leading the student to examine his expressed opinion that Rowling is a bigot.
Slightly edited for formatting of excerpt from YouTube transcript:
Teacher: So these kids want to talk about JK Rowling? This is it, so what’s going on, what do you want to know?
Student: Uh, he’s had quite a controversial past. I just want to know what you think and if you still like his work despite his bigoted opinions?
Teacher: So let’s get specific, let’s define bigoted opinions, which opinions are bigoted? We’ll treat this as a thought experiment. I won’t say what is right or wrong or which way to think, the point is to learn how to think and not what to think. Yes, so when you say bigoted, you start with the conclusion that, given his bigoted views. So let’s first start with his bigoted opinions? So when you say bigoted opinions…
Student: I heard you had a history of extreme transphobia.
Teacher: You heard, so what, can you give me an example?
The student retrieved a tweet from Rowling from 2019 and read it to the teacher: “Dress however you like. Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who will have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But forcing women to quit their jobs because they say sex is real?”
Dress as you like.
Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who will have you.
Live your best life in peace and security.
But forcing women to quit their jobs because they say sex is real? #StandWithMaya #This is not a drill—JK Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 19, 2019
The student followed with a 2020 tweet from Rowling that she described as an apology: “I respect every trans person’s right to live in whatever way they feel is authentic and comfortable. I would march with you if I were discriminated against for being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being a woman. I don’t think it’s hateful to say that.”
I respect every trans person’s right to live in whatever way they feel is authentic and comfortable. I would march with you if I were discriminated against for being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being a woman. I don’t think it’s hateful to say.
—JK Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
Teacher: So you find it bigoted? What do you find about it that was…
Student: He was considered transphobic. Like myself…
Teacher: Do you also find it transphobic?
Student: Uh, I don’t really have an opinion about it, but I just go by what a lot of other people have said.
Teacher: So let’s stop, don’t follow what others say. Let’s try to learn to think critically, then analyze the tweet ourselves. So, do you see anything problematic in this statement? Ignore the opinions of others.
Student: Um, you tried to attribute some things to a specific group of people.
Teacher: Where does it, does it, can you read it?
Student: “But forcing women to leave their jobs because they say sex is real”
Teacher: So when I hear that I interpret it to mean that if a woman says you know there’s a difference between men and women and then gets attacked as transphobic, I think that’s what she’s saying by attacking someone for saying that gender it’s real.
Student: That’s exactly what he’s saying.
Teacher: Is it transphobic for you?
Student: So not for me. Claiming that sex is real isn’t transphobic, it’s simply a fact. Exists.
Teacher: So is there anything you disagree with in that tweet?
Student: Uh, I can’t really see anything in that tweet that I myself don’t agree with. But I understand why some people would think, “oh, that’s offensive, we can’t have that here.”
Teacher: Sure.
Student: Uh, there’s an apology tweet…
Teacher: Let’s read what he said there?
Student: “I respect every trans person’s right to live in any way they feel is authentic and comfortable. I would march with you if I were discriminated against for being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being a woman. I don’t think it’s hateful to say that.”
I respect every trans person’s right to live in whatever way they feel is authentic and comfortable. I would march with you if I were discriminated against for being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being a woman. I don’t think it’s hateful to say.
—JK Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
Please watch the video to see the entire discussion.
The viral post on X Twitter:
This is absolutely brilliant. A student accuses @jk_rowling of being transphobic. This teacher skillfully analyzes the statement and challenges it by asking questions.
It teaches not what to think, but how to think critically.
Watch until the end.
See the epiphany in real time. pic.twitter.com/x00gWdOugc— Lee Harris (@addicted2newz) February 3, 2024